PDF Extension
Overview
The PDF writer creates a simple PDF document that consists of images of objects in the referenced project. Normally, the user would want to convert a paper-type Page into a PDF document. The objects on the page are all converted to images, and those are put on the PDF page. The PDF document is stored for the current patient and current measurement.Details
To use the PDF extension, you need to call the SEND_TO action (link), in the following way:Suppose you have a page in your project that is called 'PDF Page' and this page has PageType set to 'printable';
Action: SEND_TO
Value: PDF Writer > [$year$,*][$month$,*][$day$,*]_[$hour$,*][$minute$,*][$second$,*].[$alias$,*].[$ext$,*]
Address: $PDF Page
In the Value property the PDF Writer is called. Then an arrow symbol '>' follows, and then arguments for the PDF Writer. As arguments the file name is specified. In the example above, the file name is made of variables (this is the default name), but you could also write a fixed name here if you want. So the following line is also correct:
Value: PDF Writer > MyPDF.pdf
The PDF file will be stored for the current patient and the current measurement session that is open. If no measurement is open, a new measurement is created automatically (to control this, please see the Measurement Information operator (link)).
The Address of the SEND_TO action points to the page you want to be rendered in the PDF.
Limitations
- You can only print pages to a PDF that are marked to be paper-type pages.- Depending on the properties of the page that is to be rendered to PDF, a PDF in portrait or landscape is created, but only in one of the following formats: DIN A5, A4, A3, A2, A1, A0, Letter or Folio.
- Currently, Polybench can only produce PDFs with one page.
- The PDF documents tend to get pretty big, because all the items on the page are rendered as bitmap images, and not as vector images or normal text.
- You cannot print transparent objects on a PDF page. Those objects will be drawn in black.